Welcome to Snow Pavilion

a literal translation of my name, 雪亭 (“Xue Ting”)

My whole life has been one long process of Chinese to English translations, crossing over from a childhood in China, with parents living and working in the UK, to an adolescence in Britain, where my family kept me firmly grounded in Chinese language, history and current affairs. I have felt equally welcomed by both cultures, and have found myself comfortably explaining one’s oddities to the other. Did you know that for the Chinese, the number 13 is very lucky, as are toads, bats and that white is the colour of mourning?

I love literature, both English (which I studied at Queen Mary’s University London), and Chinese classic literature, which I focused on in my post-graduate studies at Beijing’s CUN. I have professionally translated a variety of works, from  the manhua, “Vision of the Other Side”, to the documentary “China Underground”, to a range of Chinese SFF works. I have acted as interpreter for journalists, film directors and artists, and written extensively on Chinese culture and history, all with an aim to promote Chinese culture in the West, and create understanding.

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Alongside translation and commentary, I deliver talks and panels at cultural festivals, institutions, and conventions around the UK. These fun, informative and accessible panels on Chinese traditional culture such as tea and classical literature, as well as the latest developments in Chinese pop culture, are tailored to the audience, ranging from brief introductions, to academic investigation.

Without understanding the history, legends, and literature, it is difficult to understand a country’s ethos. I produce guides and articles on festivals, traditions, customs and etiquette. One my recent works is “From Kuan Yin to Chairman Mao: An Essential Guide to Chinese Deities”, published by Weiser Books.

With my solid grounding in both languages and cultures I aim to bring my readers into contact with the multiple facets of contemporary China, seeking out works by new emerging voices, that may be passed over by more conservative news agencies and publishers. In 2021, after about a decade of multiple kinds of propagational work, I finally published Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction, a collection of works by 13 different authors, which I’ve curated and translated.  I hope this will lead to more projects in which I can bring you more slices of 21st century China’s flourishing arts, whether it’s translating its literature or writing about its pop culture.

China is a very exciting place, where counter-culture, sub-cultures and alternative-cultures are all emerging, alongside fierce industrial regeneration and an electronic new age. Western interest in China has really blossomed, and I hope to help you make sense of a culture that is both very different, and very similar to your own.